Looking back over the last 10 months since we came back to the Philippines I realise that there have been times when the enemy has tried his best to bring discouragement to me, Mary & our family. God has a plan for our lives; but so has the enemy. One is good, the other bad. One is the right path, the other the wrong. Jonah had two ships to choose from ... and so have we!
The enemy is always at it ... stealing, killing and destroying. He always wants to take the things that we need most in our lives. Cars, houses, computers ... all can be replaced by a decent insurance policy and within weeks or months we forget. These are generally not the things the enemy seeks to steal from us.
What he really wants is for us to lose our peace. Our joy. Our purpose. Our passion and probably most of all our hope. Living with out hope truly is hopelessness. The enemy hopes that stealing some of these precious God-given blessings will start a chain of events and thought processes that will even put our faith and salvation in jeopardy. He wants us to become discouraged, after a dose of discouragement maybe we could become full of self pity and feel like spiritual 'victims'. This could lead to compromise and loss of discipline that could in turn lead to us wearing a Sunday mask - look good at church but inside full of hurt, sadness and regret. Before we know it we have done something or said something in a moment of weakness and our whole lives are changed. So many people have fallen this way.
Bottom line: The devil knows if he steals your peace, joy and hope ... it could be a process that will lead to disaster.
We have to keep our peace. We have to cherish our hope. We have to live in joy. They are absolutely vital for a life of service to God. Without them we cannot live with purpose. Lose them and we are on a slope that could be disastrous.
How so we live in peace? Lets look at David. He almost lost it all. He is a classic example of what can happen to any of us. If a man with a 'heart after God' can fail, any of us can. He loved God ... lived with purpose and was great in every sense. But he became lazy and took the blessings of God for granted. When he should have been fighting and leading his men he stayed at home. Let someone else do it. I'm tired. I've been fighting for years. Anyway, we'll win 'coz God is with us!
When he should have been fighting he was relaxing, taking it easy and utterly unaware that this was exactly the climate that the enemy loves to attack us. The enemy loves Christians who 'take a break' or 'take time off themselves for a while'. Whilst strolling across the roof his eyes saw something that he could not resist ... a beautiful woman. All sense of Godliness left him. Spiritual purpose was evicted and passionate cravings ran through hos mind. The man after God's own heart became a man after a woman's beauty.
We know the rest. David committed indirect murder to get the object of his desire. everyone else thought that David was OK ... but God saw everything. And to every sin there is a consequence and David was like any other man - the product of the choices that he made.
When God blew the whistle at least David knew the score. He had to repent or he would lose everything. Already he was riddled with guilt, saddled by shame and lost his peace, joy and relationship with God. He had to change. Come before God.
This is where I want to bring you today - PSALM 51:10-13
The enemy is always at it ... stealing, killing and destroying. He always wants to take the things that we need most in our lives. Cars, houses, computers ... all can be replaced by a decent insurance policy and within weeks or months we forget. These are generally not the things the enemy seeks to steal from us.
What he really wants is for us to lose our peace. Our joy. Our purpose. Our passion and probably most of all our hope. Living with out hope truly is hopelessness. The enemy hopes that stealing some of these precious God-given blessings will start a chain of events and thought processes that will even put our faith and salvation in jeopardy. He wants us to become discouraged, after a dose of discouragement maybe we could become full of self pity and feel like spiritual 'victims'. This could lead to compromise and loss of discipline that could in turn lead to us wearing a Sunday mask - look good at church but inside full of hurt, sadness and regret. Before we know it we have done something or said something in a moment of weakness and our whole lives are changed. So many people have fallen this way.
Bottom line: The devil knows if he steals your peace, joy and hope ... it could be a process that will lead to disaster.
We have to keep our peace. We have to cherish our hope. We have to live in joy. They are absolutely vital for a life of service to God. Without them we cannot live with purpose. Lose them and we are on a slope that could be disastrous.
How so we live in peace? Lets look at David. He almost lost it all. He is a classic example of what can happen to any of us. If a man with a 'heart after God' can fail, any of us can. He loved God ... lived with purpose and was great in every sense. But he became lazy and took the blessings of God for granted. When he should have been fighting and leading his men he stayed at home. Let someone else do it. I'm tired. I've been fighting for years. Anyway, we'll win 'coz God is with us!
When he should have been fighting he was relaxing, taking it easy and utterly unaware that this was exactly the climate that the enemy loves to attack us. The enemy loves Christians who 'take a break' or 'take time off themselves for a while'. Whilst strolling across the roof his eyes saw something that he could not resist ... a beautiful woman. All sense of Godliness left him. Spiritual purpose was evicted and passionate cravings ran through hos mind. The man after God's own heart became a man after a woman's beauty.
We know the rest. David committed indirect murder to get the object of his desire. everyone else thought that David was OK ... but God saw everything. And to every sin there is a consequence and David was like any other man - the product of the choices that he made.
When God blew the whistle at least David knew the score. He had to repent or he would lose everything. Already he was riddled with guilt, saddled by shame and lost his peace, joy and relationship with God. He had to change. Come before God.
This is where I want to bring you today - PSALM 51:10-13
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you
and sinners will turn back to you
How can we keep, or even restore, peace in our lives?
1. A Clean Heart (v10)
2. A Right Spirit (v10)
3. A Desire for God's Presence (v11)
4. A Walk in the Holy Spirit (v11)
5. A Joy because of our Salvation (v12)
6. An Obedient Life (v12)
7. An Opportunity to Serve (v13)
2. A Right Spirit (v10)
3. A Desire for God's Presence (v11)
4. A Walk in the Holy Spirit (v11)
5. A Joy because of our Salvation (v12)
6. An Obedient Life (v12)
7. An Opportunity to Serve (v13)
I didn't plan to write about this today but I feel so strong that this is for many people. Please, today, examine your hearts and lives. Do you genuinely have a joy, a peace, a passion, a dream, a purpose and hope? Or are you hiding the real you behind a smile or 'I'm fine thanks'. Don't dwell in yesterday; don't live in guilt; don't walk with regret or shame.
The journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. The devil knows it. And often his first step is to steal your peace. Maybe it's time to say, "No More" and draw close to God again.
Like David, you will find that God is forgiving, generous and His love knows no bounds. Before you go too far ... come back.
Your peace is waiting for you ...
Selah.
No comments:
Post a Comment